PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND
My name is Laura Wolf, and I am the founder of Spark Justice Law LLC, a civil rights firm in Denver, Colorado. My practice includes advocating on behalf of individuals suffering from abuses of their civil rights, including minors experiencing abuse in K12 schools, persons whose liberties are lost at the hands of the police and other government officials, and employees facing discrimination in the workplace.
Prior to founding the firm in 2020, I was a partner of one of the largest civil rights firms in Colorado. Before that, I served as a judicial clerk for the Honorable R. Brooke Jackson on the United States District Court for the District of Colorado. I graduated summa cum laude from Brandeis University in 2008 and cum laude from Harvard Law School in May 2013.
LEGAL VICTORY EXEMPLARS
I have devoted my career to advocating for individuals suffering from abuses of their civil rights. In my first case with the firm, I helped our client – a sex assault victim – secure a nearly $4 million jury verdict against her employer. Through legal briefing, I was able to obtain an additional $2.1 million judgment in punitive damages, totaling the largest court-awarded judgment the firm has seen.
Outside of the courtroom, I have helped secure sizable settlements and significant policy changes on behalf of my clients through settlement.
In a case involving systemic race discrimination within the Fort Collins Police Department, I was able to negotiate for the creation of an independent Equal Employment Opportunity Office for use by any officer suffering from discrimination in the workplace, as well as an agreement that the city would take steps to achieve a workforce reflecting the diversity of the community it serves.
In a case in which I represented approximately 140 workers who had lost their jobs over their need to pray, I was able to use settlement negotiations to restore religious rights in the workplace. This case also resulted in the largest settlement amount the firm has seen in an employment discrimination case: $1.65 million.
My work in sex assault cases on school campuses has resulted in significant changes to the reporting and investigation of suspected child abuse by K12 schools within the State of Colorado. In one case, my work helped us obtain an $11.5 million settlement on behalf of five young women who had been groomed and sexually assaulted by their middle school teacher over several years.
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
I strongly believe in giving back through community involvement and policy development.
I serve on the Board of the Lawyers’ Civil Rights Coalition and the Rocky Mountain Victim Law Center (“RMvlc”). In my role as Vice Chair of the RMvlc Board, I help to ensure the organization can continue to serve the needs of the many crime victims it interacts with each day, including victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking.
As a member of the Colorado Women Bar Association’s Public Policy Committee, I actively took part in drafting the Colorado Equal Pay for Equal Work bill, which was passed and signed into law during the 2019 legislative session. In 2020, I spent the legislative session successfully advocating for a change to our housing discrimination laws to protect our immigrant population.
I am also working to expand access to the civil rights community here in Colorado through my role as the former CBA Civil Rights Section Chair.
In 2019, I put together the first annual Civil Rights Meet & Greet for law students and lawyers looking to practice in civil rights. The event was a success, with nearly 100 participants.
I have also developed and organized numerous CLE programs regarding immigration, employment law, and disability rights, and I am an ongoing volunteer for and promoter of the Federal Pro Se Clinic at the Alfred A. Arraj Courthouse.
In 2019, I graduated from COBALT, an interactive leadership training program designed specifically for lawyers with demonstrated leadership skills and commitment to the legal community.
PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS AND MEMBERSHIPS
- Colorado Bar Association, Civil Rights Section, Chair (2018-2019)
- Colorado Bar Association, Labor & Employment Section Member
- Lawyers’ Civil Rights Coalition, Board Member
- Rocky Mountain Victim Law Center, Vice Chair of Board of Directors
- Colorado Women’s Bar Association, Public Policy Committee
- Colorado Lawyers Committee – Young Lawyers Division, Fundraising Committee
- Colorado Trial Lawyers Association
- Colorado Women Trial Lawyers Network
- Denver Bar Association
AWARDS AND RECOGNITION
- Gary McPherson Outstanding Young Lawyer of the Year Award, 2020 – Colorado Bar Association, Young Lawyers’ Division
- CTLA Case of the Year Award Finalist
- 2020: McFadden, et al. v. Meeker Housing Authority, et al. (lead counsel)
- 2017: Rai v. St. Vrain Valley School District
- 5280 Magazine, Top Lawyers, Civil Rights Litigation – 2020
- Colorado Rising Star, Employment Litigation – 2018-2020
- Colorado Bar Association Leadership Training (“COBALT”) Program, Class of 2019; Sessions Committee 2020
ACADEMIC LECTURING AND SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS
- Lawyering During a Cultural Movement: How to Engage, Be Engaged, and Disengage, CBA ADR (November 2020)
- COVID-19 & Litigation: Trends and More, CBA Labor & Employment (October 2020)
- Show Me Your Cards: A Guide to Settlement Negotiations in Employment Discrimination Claims, CBA Labor & Employment (May 2020)
- The Dystopian Future: Employment Claims Post-Pandemic, Colorado Trial Lawyers Association (April 2020)
- Preparing for Mediation: Perspectives from a Plaintiff-Side Civil Rights and Employment Attorney, Colorado Attorney Mentoring Program (April 2020)
- The Dystopian Future: Employment Claims Post-Pandemic, Colorado Trial Lawyers Association (April 2020)
- Employment Discrimination, University of Colorado Law School – Guest Lecturer (Spring 2020)
- LINC Navigator Training, Rocky Mountain Victim Law Center (March 2020, June 2019, October 2017)
- Investigating the Case Through Pre-Litigation Discovery, University of Colorado Law School – Civil Practice Clinic (September 2019)
- Civil Justice for Victims of Sexual Harassment & Assault – Proving Liability Against Third-Party Entities, CTLA (September 2019)
- The Pros and Cons of Litigation Versus Mediation: Tips and Tricks for When to Sue Versus Settle, CTLA Convention (August 2019)
- Disability Discrimination in Housing, CBA Civil Rights & Disability Law CLE (July 2019)
- Nuts and Bolts of Employment Law, CBA Pro Se Clinic & Civil Rights CLE (May 2019)
- Employment Law Panel, University of Denver, Sturm College of Law, Panel for Public Interest Week (March 2019)
- Intersections Between the FHA and the Rehabilitation Act in Housing Discrimination Cases, Colorado Trial Lawyers Association (March 2019)
- Litigation Sharks v. Mediation Jets, CBA ADR & YLD, Panel on the Pros and Cons of Litigation as Compared to Mediation (February 2019)
- Deadlines & Administrative Exhaustion of Employment Claims, National Employment Lawyers’ Association, Annual Convention (June 2018)
- Administrative Exhaustion of Employment Retaliation Claims, Colorado Trial Lawyers’ Association, Employment Law Seminar (June 2018)
- Transgender Rights & Administrative Exhaustion Under Title VII, Employment Discrimination, University of Colorado Law School (April 2018)
- #MeToo: The Cycle of a Sexual Harassment Claim, Colorado Bar Association (November 2017)
- Patriarchy & Domestic Violence, Domestic Violence Seminar, University of Colorado Law School (September 2017)
- Gender and Generational Dynamics in the Legal Profession, Colorado Bar Association, CLE Unplugged (August 2017)
- Religion in the Workplace, PELA Annual Retreat (August 2017)
- The Equal Protection Clause and Alien Status, Constitutional Law, University of Colorado Law School (March 2017)
- Use of Electronic Evidence in the Employment Law Case, CBA Employment Law Fall Update: Key Strategies for Your Practice (November 2016)
- Advocating the Case: Investigating Claims, Interviewing Witnesses, and Obtaining Documentation, PELA CTLA Employment Law 101 CLE (September 2016)
- Utilizing the Unemployment Insurance Application Process as a Tool for Discovery, PELA Annual Retreat 2016 Lunch Roundtable (August 2016)
- Navigating and Using the Numerous Aspects of Colorado’s Legal System, Colorado Advocacy In Action Conference (June 2016)
- Refugees in Colorado Panel Speaker, CU President’s Leadership Class Alumni Event (April 2016)
- Resurgent NLRB Finds Employees Chilled by Common Language in Arbitration Agreements and Employer Policies, Boulder County Bar Association Brown Bag (March 2016)
- Vindicating Employee Rights Using Common Law Torts and the State Court System, PELA Brown Bag (February 2016)
- Employment Law Practicum, Red Rocks Community College (Fall Semester 2015)